1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for playing card games between at least one player and a dealer, and more particularly toward a multi-player card game utilizing a customized deck of playing cards and multiple wagering levels.
2. Related Art
Card games are considered by many to be educational, stimulating and exciting social activities. Many of the more popular card games are designed to mentally involve as well as test the strategic abilities of each individual player. These same characteristics are often further enhanced when the card game is combined with the opportunity for placing wagers.
A successful casino card game must hold the interest of the players in both a monetary and non-monetary manner. In today's market, the entertainment value to the customer is key to the long-term success of a game. The longer the “average time” or “time in seat” a player enjoys, the greater the chance he will return to play another day. A game with a higher House Edge that offers excitement will be accepted by most players. Roulette is an example of this. There must be something inherent in the game or its manner of play that involves a player, without regard to financial gain and/or despite the occurrence of wagers lost. The player must also entertain the perception that they have the possibility of winning the wager.
For some players or games, this inherent characteristic might be the thrill generated by the chance that luck may visit the player. Many players rely to at least some extent on the perception of luck as a driving force that motivates them to play the game. For other players, the perceived level of required skill to affect the outcome of the game is key to them participating in the action.
There are two general types of wagering used in casino card games—the Poker-style game and the House Banked-style. In Poker-style games, players play against each other whereas in a House Banked game, the players are playing individually against the house. Poker-style games tend to emphasize a competitive aspect that appeals to card players that are more confident of their skill level and less reliant on the perception of luck. During Poker-style games, the manner of wagering results in the transfer of monies among the players within the playing group. Not all card players find this type of Player vs. Player inter-play enjoyable.
In contrast, House Banked-style wagering games permit the players to compete against the bank, house or casino rather than against one another. By playing against an impersonal entity, any losses are paid out of the corporate or common fund and not the result of a fellow player's loss. As a result, multiple players can win simultaneously, thereby enhancing the playing experience for some players. In addition, most players are aware that the house manipulates the winning odds to assure a statistical advantage. House Banked-style games may also provide for a “Player-Banker.” In some jurisdictions, the house is not allowed to profit from play of the game itself. It is only allowed to collect a small fee per hand. In these cases, the Player-Banker takes on the action for a given number of hands. Some jurisdictions allow for what is referred to as a “Player Pool” to act as the bank. In theory, the Player Pool belongs to the players and all wins and losses are handled by a house dealer from the pool. Player-Banker and Player-Pool games are variations of a House Banked-style wagering scheme.
When players are playing against one another in a Poker-style card game, there is no statistical advantage for the “House” and therefore it is not necessary that the game mathematics be verified. However, when the House or a Player-Banker carries a hand in the game which is used to challenge all other hands, certified math is a must to assure that the House has the required edge to take on the associated risk. There are some banked games where the player wagers on a given community hand, such as in Baccarat, that has specific rules of play that still give the House its required edge necessary to offer the game.
US Publication No. 2006/0087081 to Jones, published Apr. 27, 2006, discloses a method for playing a card game in Poker-style format. This publication describes a card game in which players receive three cards in a first round. The face values of these cards are kept secret while a Dragon card is revealed from the deck which has the effect of nullifying all similarly numerically valued cards. Players continuing in the game receive two more cards, and the player holding the highest numeric card count is declared the winner and awarded the accumulated wagers. Card values used for play in this game are Aces (ones), 2's and 3's, together with three Dragon cards which serve as wild cards. The entire disclosure of US Publication No. 2006/0087081 is incorporated here by reference and relied upon.
While the aforementioned publication describes an exciting and elegantly constructed card game, it is not well suited for play using wagering formats other than the Player vs. Player Poker-style method. Thus, players which are adverse to Poker-style play would not be interested in playing the game for extended periods of time. Furthermore, subtle yet important differences in the card values and betting structures make the Jones '081 publication unsuited for play in any structure other than Poker-style methods.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved card game which is fast and simple to play, which retains player excitement, which appeals to all types of players, which incorporates an element of luck so as to entertain a large proportion of card players, and which can be played using a House Banked-style of play, a Player-Banker style of play, a Player Pool style of play, and the like.